The Farr Side: Brothers & Sisters’ is must-see TV

David T. Farr

Tuesday

Oct 30, 2007 at 12:01 AMOct 30, 2007 at 8:39 PM

Who could watch “Brothers & Sisters” and not fall in love with The Walker family? I love these people. MUG TK

Who could watch “Brothers & Sisters” and not fall in love with The Walker family? I love these people.
“Brothers & Sisters” is the best new show on TV. I know what you’re thinking: this show debuted last season. That’s true, but it’s new to me.
Sally Field is one powerhouse of an actor, which puzzles me how I let this show slip by for a whole season.
The fuss over her Emmy acceptance speech intrigued me. I was watching the live telecast that night and was stunned she was cut short by trigger-happy producers afraid she might rock the politically correct boat during her thank-you’s. I’ve learned now, that sounds an awful lot like her character, Nora, the matriarch of the Walker family.
Field earned the Emmy for outstanding lead actress in a drama series for the Sunday night hit ABC drama, which marked Field’s return to the small screen.
A documentary special on the show prompted me to see more, which meant ordering season one on DVD, too. Thank God for TV on DVD.
The special gave a little insight into the fictional TV family, the characters and the actors who bring this family to life by exploring the complexity of the characters as individuals while discovering the intricacies of a family in crisis, an American family in the 21st century. I haven’t known of a show to do this and do it so well since “American Dreams.”
Good drama is all about character development, which is why this show works so well. I can rank it up there with “Grey’s Anatomy,” “Lost,” “Nip/Tuck,” and “Private Practice” as must-see TV.
Like the above-named dramas, the success of “B&S” comes from its stellar cast including Calista Flockhart, Rachel Griffiths, Ron Rifkin, Balthazar Getty, Dave Annable, Patricia Wettig, Rob Lowe, and Field, to name a few that comprise this amazing ensemble.
To me, The Walkers are representative of today’s family unit. From politics, relationships, and business to love and loss, they delve deep into the meaning of family and show just how blood truly is thicker than water, no matter the crisis. Many aspects covered are topical and perhaps issues many families might be faced with, including the events in the Middle East.
Justin’s (Annable) recent return home from Iraq has made for some gripping storylines from the family’s standpoint, particularly Nora’s.
It’s probably a safe bet to say the Walkers are non-Republican, except for Kitty (Flockhart), who is engaged to be married to Republican Sen. Robert McCallister (Lowe).
Justin said it best when talking to McCallister about his sister Kitty, who defended her family on a live radio talk-show similar to that of Rush Limbaugh.
He said to McCallister, “As much as Kitty wants to be a McCallister, it was nice to see her finally become a Walker.”
As messed up and sometimes dysfunctional individuals, they still manage to come together as one under Nora’s roof. They prove that sometimes at the end of the day all you might have is each other.
David T. Farr is a Sturgis (Mich.) Journal correspondent. E-mail him at farrboy@hotmail.com.

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